410 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  12,  1904. 
Birds’  Eggs’  Preservation. 
In  last  week’s  Journal  of  Horticulture,  page  .397,  in 
answer  to  a  coiTospondent  re  birds’  eggs  preservation,  you 
recommend  blowing  eggs  with  two  holes.  Nowadays  eggs  are 
always  blown  witJi.one  hole  only,  and  that  generally  on  one  side. 
This  is  accomplished  by  the  use  of  a  blow  pipe,  which  can  be 
purchased  at  any  taxidermist’s.  From  a  collector’s  point  of 
view,  eggs  blown  with  two  holes  are  worth  oO  per  cent,  less  than 
those  with  one  only. — L.  Bigg-Wither. 
The  Inspiring  Letters,  “  F.R.H.S.” 
INIany  people  at  a  distance  removed  from  London  seem  to 
regard  Ihe  letters  “  F.E.H.S.  (Fellow  of  the  Royal  Horticul¬ 
tural  Society)  with  the  same  respect  as  they  do  those  of 
“  M.D.,”  and  “D_.Sc.,”  and  from  the  “Sussex  Daily 
News  ”  I  observe  that  the  R.H.S.  is  looked  upon  as  “  a  learned 
body.”  Another  paragraph  in  the  “  Western  Mail  ”  furnishes 
a  paragraph  to  record  that  .J - “was  unanimously  elected  a 
Fellow  of  the  society.”  It  should  be  known  that  no  knowledge 
of  horticulture  or  botany,  or  any  other  science,  is  necessary  in 
order  to  .join  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  but  what  is 
necessary  is  that  the  respective  subscriptions  be  i^aid. — Cvmri. 
Cyaniding  on  an  Established  Basis. 
Supplementary  to  the  notes  you  were  good  enough  to  pub- 
li.sh  from  my  pen  on  page  384  of  last  week’s  Journal,  the  follow- 
in<T  proportions  at  which  to  use  the  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  have 
been  drawn  up  by  Mr.  "W.  F.  Emptage,  and  endorsed  by 
myself  : — 
Proportions  and  Uses  for  IjOOOet  Unit. — (1)  For  nursery¬ 
men  in  clearing  dormant  stock  of  out-door  shrubs  and  trees  of 
scale,  American  blight,  tvc.,  the  plants  should  be  stood  thickly 
together  in  a  glass  house  or  in  a  cyaniding  shed,  which  should 
become  part  of  the  outfit  of  every  nursery  place.  2^oz  of  the 
sodium  cyanide,  30  per  cent,  strength,  5  fluid  oz.  sulphuric 
acid,  spec.  grav.  1.8,  15  fluid  oz  water,  will  be  ample  for  the 
purpose ;  50  to  CO  minutes  may  be  given  as  the  period  of 
exposure.  The  trees,  will  be  best  dry  and  the  temperature  of 
the  shed  at  about  50deg.  Nurserymen  buying  in  stock  from 
fre.sh  places,  where  scale,  ttc.,  are  found  on  them  or  are  to  be 
feared,  should  always  subject  the  plants,  Arc.,  to  this  process. 
The  formulm  given  wifi  also  be  found  u.seful  for  all  kinds  of 
forest  trees  when  dormant. 
(2)  For  the  destruction  of  all  scale  insects,  mealy  bug,  thrip, 
Ac.,  on  Vines  when  the  fruit  is  cut,  and  on  Peaches  and 
Nectarines  when  the  fruit  is  cleared,  and  on  Orange  trees. 
Camellias,  Gardenias,  Stephanotis,  Passifloras,  Dipladenias, 
palms.  Plumbago,  Euphorbias,  orchids.  Fuchsias,  Azaleas, 
greenhouse  Rhododendrons,  Roses,  hard-leaved  Ferns,  Ficus, 
and  many  other  subjects,  when  not  actually  making  a  new 
growth.  Orchids  may  be  cyanided  safely  when  the  roots  are 
not  making  new  growth  on  the  outside  of  the  baskets  or  in  the 
air.  No  grower  or  nurseryman  need  be  troubled  with  mealy 
bug  again.  For  these  plants,  in  a  temperature  of  50deg  to 
55deg,  2oz  sodium  cyanide,  4  fluid  oz  of  sulphuric  acid,  and 
12  fluid  oz  of  water,  exposure  40  minutes,  will  be  perfectly  safe 
quantities  to  use.  The  foliage  should  be  dry,  but  this  is  not 
imperative  in  the  case  of  dormant  plants. 
For  Vineries  in  Winter. — At  or  about  pruning  time,  when 
the  Vines  are  quite  dormant,  for  the  destruction  of  Vine-scale, 
mealy-bug,  red-spider,  Ac.,  two  cyanidings  should  be  given  at 
intervals  of  24  hours  of  2^oz  sodium  cyanide,  5  fluid  oz  sulphuric 
acid,  15oz  water,  exiiosure  50  minutes,  temperature  of  house, 
50deg  to  55deg. 
Fly  and  other  Insects  among  Growing  Plants. — For  all 
plants  such  as  Pelargoniums,  when  not  in  flower.  Azaleas  and 
general  greenhou.se  stuff,  1  l-3rd  oz  sodium  cyanide,  34  fluid  oz 
sulphuric  acid,  104  fluid  oz  water  may  be  used  with  perfect 
safety,  providing  the  plants  are  dry,  and  the  temperature  of 
the  house  not  above  55deg ;  exposure  40  minutes. 
For  Fly,  Thrips,  Ac.,  on  more  Delicate  Sdbjects. — 14oz 
sodium  cyanide,  3  fluid  oz  sulphuric  acid,  9oz  water;  exposure 
40  minutes.  The  plants  should  be  quife  dry,  and  the  tempera- 
lure  be  lowered  to  55deg  if  possible.  lYhere  this  is  not  possible 
loz  of  sodium  cyanide  will  probably  be  sufficient,  2  fluid  oz  sid- 
jihuric  acid,  6oz  water,  repeating  the  operation  if  needed. 
Tomato  Fly  (Ah'vrodes). — This  is  a  pest  that  onlv  tho.se  who 
have  large  Tomam  houses  infected  can  fully  comprehend.  There 
need  be  no  further  trouble  in  this  respect,  as  the'  l|oz  formulae 
(No.  2)  ivill  bring  everyone  down  to  death.  Repeated  every  two 
days  until  ali  eggs  are  hatched,  there  will  be  a  thorough 
clearance  made.  There  is  no  other  method  of  insect  destruc¬ 
tion,  especially  for  Vines,  Ac.,  that  is  so  cheap  and  efficient  as 
the  sodium  cyanide  process.  AV’e  shall  be  pleased  to  give  advice 
on  the  use  of  the  gas  to  all  who  need  it.— Elderbert  F.  Hawes, 
Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Regent’s  Park,  N.M. 
Planting  Out  Bulbs  alter  Forcing. 
The  notes  by  4V.,”  page  386,  and  “  J.  N.,”  page  387,  on  the 
treatment  of  bulbs  after  they  have  been  forced,  or  have  finished 
flowering  in  the  beds,  as  the  case  may  bo,  are  of  much  value ; 
and  one  hopes  that  the  hints  contained  may  bo  acted  upon.  For 
myself,  I  may  say  tliat  it  has  been  the  annual  custom  to  plant 
out  all  the  forced  bulbs  in  a  sandy  border  which  is  shaded  by 
small  copper  and  fern-leaved  Beech  trees,  as  ivell  as  Apple  trees, 
and  the  flowers  from  the  bulbs  therein  planted  furnish  a  bril¬ 
liant  display  every  year.  But  ive  harden  off  and  plump  up  the 
bulbs  as  fa'r  as  circumstances  alloiv,  ere  placing  them  -where 
they  are  to  grow.  Of  course  ivhere  Tulips  are  forced,  and  their 
flowers  and  foliage  cut  right  off  close  above  the  bulbj  the  latter 
is  not  considered  fit  to  plant ;  but  possibly  such  bulbs  have  at 
times  been  planted,  and  if  any  reader  of  this  letter  can  fell  me 
what  were  the  results  in  such  cases,  I  would  be  pleased. — Me., 
Edinburgh.  _  _  _ 
Tbe  Use  ol  Royle’s  Threader. 
Seeing  rather  a  discordant  note  struck  in  the  issue  of  the 
Journal  for  March  31,  against  the  use  of  Royle’s  threader,  as 
recommended  in  the  Journal,  March  26,  1903,  by  Mr.  Thos. 
Fletcher,  Grappenhall,  might  I  say  that  through  the  same 
source  we  were  persuaded  to  give  it  a  trial  with  most  gratifying 
results.  The  trees.  Currants  especially,  were  all  right  in  this 
late  district  until  nearing  the  end  of  March,  when  the  birds, 
chiefly  bullfinches,  were  again  commencing  tlieir  annual  damage, 
the  threader  was  then  freely  used,  and  acted  as  a  one-night 
cure.  The  trees  are  now  showing  an  exceptionally  promising 
display  of  bloom,  and  the  threader  has  certainly  left  upon  us 
a  good  impre.ssion. — C.  D.,  Brecknock. 
- - 
County  Armagli  Fruit  Industry. 
Within  the  last  feiv  years  an  important  industry  in  the 
cultivation  of  fruit — chiefly  the  Strawberry — has  sprung  up  ill 
the  district  radiating  from  Cockhill,  'Tartaraghan,  County 
Armagh.  The  soil  in  this  district  is  peculiarly  suitable  to  fruit 
culture.  One  great  advantage  the  industry  possesses  is  that 
the  cottager  and  small  farmer  can  share  in  tne  profits.  It  is 
to  be  regretted,  however,  that  some  encouragement  has  not 
been  given  them  by  either  the  Agricultural  Board  or  County 
Council.  For  instance,  there  is  scarcely  a  fruit  farm  but  lies 
outside  the  limit  of  the  free  delivery  for  telegrams.  Now,  a 
telegraph  or  telephone  office  could  be  provided  at  little  outlay, 
and  would  be  a  great  boon  in  the  fruit  season.  There  is  only 
one  delivery  of  letfers  in  the  day ;  the  English  and  Scotch  letters 
lie  over  till  next  day.  An  extra  messenger,  during  the  season, 
at  least,  might  be  alloived.  Then,  the  roads  leading  to  both 
Portadown  and  Annaghmore  Stations  are  anything  but  good. 
A  few  perches  only  have  been  rolled,  and  this,  for  the  carriage  of 
Strawberries,  nleans  something.  If  only  these  matters  were 
brought  under  the  notice  of  the  above  Boards,  something  would 
be  done. — Progress. 
— — 
Proposed  Gardeners’  Society. 
Owing  to  so  many  different  opinions  having  been  expressed, 
it  seems  a  pity  the  provisional  committee  has  not  endeavoured 
to  ascertain  the  general  feeling  on  the  subject.  The  previous 
meeting  held  could  not  have  been  attended  by  many  private 
gardeners  or  market  employes,  or  surely  there  -^voulcl  have 
been  a  larger  proportion  elected  on  the  provi.sional  committee. 
In  order  to  gauge  the  various  opinions,  and  solely  to  assist  in 
arriving  at  a  correct  solution,  ivill  all  gardeners,  market  and 
nutsery  hands,  who  have  been  employed  in  horticultural  work 
for  the  pa.st  ten  years,  send  a  postcard  with  their  full  name 
and  address,  and  the  figures  1,  2,  3,  or  4,  as  best  corresponds 
with  their  views,  viz.  : — 
1.  Are  you  in  favour  of  a  .society  to  include  gardeners,  nur¬ 
sery  and  market  growers,  and  horticulturists  generally.^ 
2.  Are  you  in  favour  of  a  society  for  private  gardeners 
only  ? 
3.  Are  you  in  favour  of  a  society  for  nursery  and  market 
employes  only  ? 
4.  Are  you  against  any  association  being  formed? 
Will  all  interested  kindly  respond?  and  I  will  endeavour  to 
tabulate,  and  give  tlie  results  in  time  for  the  meeting  on  June  1, 
—William  E.  Close,  28,  Laiigthorne  Street,  Fulham,  S.vY. 
